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Review Degradation of microbial polyesters

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Abstract

Microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), one of the largest groups of thermoplastic polyesters are receiving much attention as biodegradable substitutes for non-degradable plastics. Poly(d-3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) is the most ubiquitous and most intensively studied PHA. Microorganisms degrading these polyesters are widely distributed in various environments. Although various PHB-degrading microorganisms and PHB depolymerases have been studied and characterized, there are still many groups of microorganisms and enzymes with varying properties awaiting various applications. Distributions of PHB-degrading microorganisms, factors affecting the biodegrada- bility of PHB, and microbial and enzymatic degradation of PHB are discussed in this review. We also propose an application of a new isolated, thermophilic PHB-degrading microorganism, Streptomyces strain MG, for producing pure monomers of PHA and useful chemicals, including d-3-hydroxycarboxylic acids such as d-3-hydroxybutyric acid, by enzymatic degradation of PHB.

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  1. National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba Central 6, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8566, Japan

    Yutaka Tokiwa & Buenaventurada P. Calabia

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  1. Yutaka Tokiwa
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  2. Buenaventurada P. Calabia
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Correspondence to Yutaka Tokiwa.

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Tokiwa, Y., Calabia, B.P. Review Degradation of microbial polyesters. Biotechnology Letters 26, 1181–1189 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:BILE.0000036599.15302.e5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:BILE.0000036599.15302.e5

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